Rooney Mara joins Side Effects

The 26-year-old actress - who recently won an Oscar-nomination for her performance in 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' - will now play the leading role of Emily Hawkins in the movie about a woman with a prescription drug addiction, Deadline.com reports.

Her problems increase when she is forced to come to terms with her husband being released from prison after three years, and she begins an affair with her doctor.

Jude Law, Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones are also set to star in the movie, which has been written by Scott Z. Burns.

Greg Jacobs and Lorenzo di Bonaventura are producing the film, and shooting begins in April.

The role will be Rooney's first major signing since appearing in the English language version of 'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' alongside Daniel Craig.

She was thought to be in line for a role in Kathryn Bigelow's movie about the death of Osama bin Laden, but could not sign on due to promotional work for 'Dragon Tattoo'.